Cleveland Browns: Storylines to watch vs. Washington
The Cleveland Browns are looking for their first win of of the 2016 NFL season. Here are some storylines to follow in the game against Washington.
The Cleveland Browns travel to Washington this week to take on the 1-2 Redskins. Last week the Hue Jackson-led Browns had opportunities to win late in the game but couldn’t execute down the stretch. This week presents another winnable road game for the Browns if they can execute in crunch time.
Washington is coming off their first win last week against the New York Giants. Washington is led by their quarterback Kirk Cousins, a streaky passer, and if the defense can get pressure on him, they will be able to force Cousins into some erratic throws. If the defense can keep Cousins guessing like they did with Miami’s Ryan Tannehill at times last week, the secondary will have opportunities to create turnovers.
Despite the recent news that wide receiver Josh Gordon is not returning to the team, Jackson remains confident in the guys he has in the locker room,
“I think the guys have worked hard that way as far as being accountable to each other, doing the right thing. Obviously, we had a slip up this past week. That is unfortunate and that is not something that we want to have happen,” Jackson said on Friday. “We have dealt with that as an organization and as a team. We will move forward. Hopefully, that is a lesson learned for everybody else on how we conduct our business.
“Our guys have done a good job. That is all I can say thus far. We don’t want any problems at the end of the day, but I think in this building, in these meeting rooms and on that practice field, these guys have done a good job in giving me everything they have.”
The keys for the Browns to pull off the road victory on Sunday will be to continue using playmaker Terrelle Pryor as the focal point of the offense. Also, the development and progress from quarterback Cody Kessler will remain as a huge storyline entering the game. Last week Kessler kept the ship afloat in his first start and minimized turnovers. This week the goal for Kessler is to continue to manage the offense and position the team for points and a chance to win late in the game once again.